The Courageous Life

When criminal justice expert and Stanford-Trained economist, Jennifer Doleac thinks about reform, 
she’s not just hopeful, 
she’s optimistic that second chances are possible—for the justice-involved population and the system as a whole. 
In her eye opening new book: The Science of Second Chances,
she reveals her powerful approach to reducing crime and incarceration. 
Today, we’ll take a deep dive into some of the cutting-edge economic research and real-world experiments she’s conducted and called upon in her work.
Together exploring the possibility of approaching big, complex problems as scientists in a lab do.
Carefully testing different approaches and following the data to maximize impact. 
Jennifer’s work points to an innovative path forward that harnesses  practical, achievable solutions. 
As she invites us to consider the possibility that we can have both public safety and a smaller, less intrusive justice system—
without waiting for big, structural reforms that might never come. 
And, that creating the society we ultimately want, and need, 
may actually come from shifting focus from the enormity of the problem 
to the power of small, evidence-based changes.
For more on Jennifer, her new book, podcast, and other offerings please visit: https://jenniferdoleac.com/ and for her substack head to https://probablecausation.substack.com/ 
Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:
The End of Violence | Dr. Gary Slutkin
On How to Speak Up When it Matters | Dr. Sunita Sah
On Science, Hope, and Humanity | Matt Kaplan

Upcoming opportunities to learn with Joshua:
Learn more about Joshua's new LIVE 6 week course: Unlocking Creativity. 
Limited spots are available. Course begins on October 11th, 2026.
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Emotional pain, of all kinds and magnitudes, is part of life. 
We’ll never be able to find ourselves free of it; 
no meditation or amount of therapy will cure us of the harder parts of being alive. 
Celebrated author and therapist, Lisa Olivera has confronted this reality for years, weaving her exploration of it throughout her popular SubStack, Human Stuff. 
She reminds us that the practice of turning toward the ache with care—reverence, even—might be one of the most meaningful gifts we can give ourselves. 
It might even save us.
Through her work, Lisa offers questions and practices that invite us into this possibility.
Questions such as:
How do we confront and tend to the painful parts of being human without letting that pain entirely overtake us? 
How do we find joy even when depression visits, even when we lose someone we love, even when the hurt of the world is ever-present? 
How do we cultivate aliveness in the midst?
 Today we’ll engage with these questions alongside themes from her gorgeous new book:
When the Ache Remains: Lessons on Tending to the Unfixable and Finding Beauty Anyway, 
All of which point to how what Lisa calls; the ache of being alive, 
shapes our lives, 
how we can alchemize pain into medicine, 
how presence is accessible, 
and how it’s possible to find beauty and joy even in the midst of some of our most harrowing experiences.
For more on Lisa, her books, substack, events and other offerings, please visit lisaolivera.com
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Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:
On Soul Work for Times of Uncertainty | Francis Weller
On Listening and Attending to the Soul | James Hollis
On Why We Suffer and How We Heal | Dr. Suzan Song
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Beloved Poet, spiritual teacher, and storyteller Mark Nepo,
And 
Writer, speaker, activist, and founder of the Center for Courage and Renewal, Parker J. Palmer, 
Have touched the lives of millions of people around the globe seeking to live more courageously, authentically, and in ways that foster a more compassionate world. 
For some time I’ve dreamt of getting the two of them together for a conversation to explore some of the greatest lessons they’ve learned over the course of their lives and careers.
Lessons about what it means to live well, 
To work well, 
And to relate to each other, and the world, in life-giving ways. 
We finally did.
For more on Parker, his books, podcast and other offerings please visit newcomerpalmer.com. For more about the Center for Courage and Renewal visit couragerenewal.org
And for more about Mark Nepo, his nearly 30 books, poetry, and live events please visit marknepo.com
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Looking for more inspiring conversations with Mark and Parker? We think you'll love these:
On Wisdom and Love in Troubling Times | Mark Nepo & Elizabeth Lesser
On Choosing Love | Mark Nepo 
On Honoring the Soul (Pt. 1) | Parker J. Palmer
On Work, Friendship, and Embracing Impermanence | Parker J. Palmer & Jerry Colonna
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Author and Leadership Coach, Miroo Kim, spent much of her life 
checking off every seemingly important box. 
From getting into the right schools, 
to a 20 year career in tech that spanned roles within some of the world’s most iconic companies,
Places like Microsoft, Apple, and Meta. 
It was what some might call a dream career.
And yet, instead of the meaning and fulfillment one might expect to find as a result,
In the end, Miroo found herself:
Burned out, 
Feeling depressed,  
And sitting with the experience of emptiness. 
So she started to wonder:
“Is this the only way of working? 
Do I really have to suffer at work until I retire? 
Is there another way?”
Her new book: The Placeholder: The Place to Go to Create Your Noble Work
Explores these questions and traverses the territory of meaning, fulfillment, and vocation.
In today’s conversation we’ll unpack many of the lessons contained within it’s pages. 
Including the hard-earned wisdom Miroo has gained over the years through:
Research, 
Experimentation,
Reflection,
And the work she does coaching leaders on workplace culture. 
All of which point toward the possibility of a different experience of work. 
One where we don’t suffer. 
One where we get to do what matters deeply to us. 
And one that leaves us feeling fulfilled through the process.
For more on Miroo, please visit peopleculture.co or follow her substack which you can find at placeholder.community
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Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:
On the Science of Mastering Your Intuition | Laura Huang
On Work, Friendship, and Embracing Impermanence | Parker Palmer & Jerry Colonna
On Curiosity, Presence, and Love | Dr. Jacob Ham
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Violence is often regarded as an unavoidable fact of life. 
The truth however is far more hopeful: violence is a disease that can be cured.
 Using a bold new approach, 
Epidemiologist and violence prevention specialist Dr. Gary Slutkin is reclassifying violence as a a disease: 
One that enters the brain and infects people, communities, and countries via the same process as other epidemics. 
Gary makes a compelling research-backed case that when: 
Shootings occur in a school or community, 
A political figure is assassinated, 
Or an authoritarian leader directs violence in his nation’s own cities, 
These are not just tragedies, 
but disease outbreaks that can (and must) be interrupted and contained.
 As a leading epidemiologist, Dr. Slutkin led teams to end epidemics of cholera and tuberculosis, then HIV/ AIDS in Africa and Asia with the World Health Organization. 
Upon returning to the US, he began to discover the invisible science of violence—and how to contain it using the very same epidemic control methods.
 Today, we will dive deep into the insights he’s gained over the years, 
a time-tested roadmap for recovery, 
And the playbook that has been used to dramatically reduce or eliminate violence in many of the most dangerous neighborhoods throughout the US and Latin America. 
It’s a playbook that has also been successfully adapted to curtail political violence, election violence, and gender-based violence in countries around the world.
 Whether it’s domestic violence, mass shootings, state tyranny, or war 
Gary argues that these are all syndromes of the exact same disease, 
And that they all require the same interventions. 
More importantly, he reminds us that we already have the tools to protect ourselves, 
heal our communities, 
and end violence in our lifetime.
 It is now up to us to use them.
For more on Dr. Slutkin, his powerful new book: The End of Violence: Eliminating the World’s Most Dangerous Epidemic, as well as other resources and offerings. Please visit: garyslutkin.com
Enjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:
On Choosing Love (No Matter What) | Deeyah Khan
On Science, Hope, and Humanity | Matt Kaplan
On How to Speak Up When It Matters | Dr. Sunita Sah
Thanks for listening!
Support the show